A Somber Fourth of July in Pasadena
What is usually a festive celebration of America has turned gloomy in Pasadena. The first blow was devastating wildfires that destroyed over 9000 homes and businesses in Altadena and Pasadena, leaving many families homeless and fearful of their future. The second cruel blow was the attack on our community by the Trump administration, sending armed, masked men into the heart of our neighborhoods, snatching our friends and relatives off the street and shipping them to isolated camps where they were deprived not only of decent living conditions, but also their rights.
In an opinion piece in the local Pasadena Now publication, the President of Pasadena City College eloquently describes the pain that our city is suffering. Pasadena City College – known locally as PCC – is celebrating its hundred anniversary this year. It has educated hundreds of thousands of students, including Jackie Robinson and Eddie Van Halen, along with prize-winning scientists, educators and business people. PCC is home to nearly 25,000 students, mostly from minority and first-generation backgrounds, and includes a wide range of young and old who are aiming to transfer to a four-year college or enter a new career path.
Many of the students work to help support their families, in addition to pursuing their studies. Many do not have a car, and rely on public transportation to get to class. And a large number – perhaps a thousand or more – are homeless or chronically food insecure. Like many residents of Pasadena, they have family or friends who are undocumented, or they may be either undocumented themselves or protected – at least temporarily — by the DACA program. These students – and our entire community – are living in fear on this Fourth of July. As a former member of the PCC Board of Trustees and current President of the PCC Foundation, which has raised millions of dollars in support of our students, I am proud that our PCC President has taken a stand in support of our college and community. Therefore, I have included the opening paragraphs of President Gomez’s moving piece, as well as a link to the full article.
Guest Opinion | Dr. José A. Gómez | This July 4th, We Must Ask: Which America Are We?
This year, Independence Day is a painful reminder that what we cherish most about this nation could swiftly end.
In the time it takes masked men to emerge from an unmarked car and drag a vendor away from her spot at Home Depot, America becomes less itself and more like despotic regimes around the world.
In the time it takes to sign an executive order, what the founders framed and what generations of Americans have refined through their blood, sweat, and tears, could be tossed onto the trash heap of history. And tyranny could take its place.
This is the horrible reality I see emerging, lurking amid the fireworks shows, flag waving, and backyard barbecues: this nation that we so deeply love, could become a nation we do not even recognize.
This year, many local Independence Day celebrations will not be held, out of fear and concern for everyone in our community. Over the last month, we have witnessed horrible events. We’ve seen images of armed men, often wearing masks, in pursuit: chasing down an elderly man sitting at a bus stop, a gardener, a worker at a car wash. We’ve heard reports of conditions at immigrant detention centers that mirror conditions at facilities in impoverished nations.
The videos, photos, and reports seem to come from another time, and a different place.
In my Commencement address to the Class of 2025 at Pasadena City College, I reminded graduates that they each have a unique purpose. Our nation and our world need their contributions to create a better tomorrow. As I spoke that evening, downtown Los Angeles was under a curfew and ICE was preparing for more raids.
https://pasadenanow.com/main/guest-opinion-dr-jose-a-gomez-this-july-4th-we-must-ask-which-america-are-we
Hoyt Hilsman is author and journalist. He is a former member of the PCC Board of Trustees and current President of the PCC Foundation.